# Tumor Growth Rate Predicts Pathological Outcomes in Breast Fibroepithelial Tumors: A Pilot Study and Review of Literature

## TL;DR

This study shows that the growth rate of breast fibroepithelial tumors can help predict whether they are benign or malignant, improving pre-surgery decision-making.

## Contribution

The first systematic evaluation of tumor growth rate as a radiologic biomarker for breast fibroepithelial tumors.

## Key findings

- Malignant phyllodes tumors show significantly higher growth rates than benign fibroadenomas and phyllodes tumors.
- Tumor growth rate can be calculated from routine imaging and may improve preoperative risk assessment.
- The study provides effect-size estimates to support future multicenter trials.

## Abstract

Fibroepithelial tumors (FETs) of the breast, including fibroadenomas and phyllodes tumors, often present diagnostic challenges, particularly on core biopsy. Distinguishing benign from malignant subtypes is critical for guiding surgical management, yet conventional imaging provides limited predictive value. Our study is the first to systematically evaluate tumor growth rate (TGR) as a radiologic biomarker in FETs. We demonstrate that malignant phyllodes tumors (PTs) exhibit significantly higher TGR compared to fibroadenomas and benign/borderline PTs. These findings suggest that TGR, derived from routine serial imaging, offers a reproducible and noninvasive tool for early risk stratification. Integrating TGR into clinical practice could enhance preoperative decision-making, reduce diagnostic uncertainty, and improve patient outcomes by guiding timely surgical intervention.

Background/Objectives: Fibroepithelial tumors (FETs) of the breast, including fibroadenomas (FAs) and phyllodes tumors (PTs), are among the most common breast masses encountered by breast radiologists and pathologists. Differentiating FAs from benign or borderline PTs can be challenging, especially on core biopsy specimens where sampling limitations obscure key histologic features. Although imaging techniques provide useful diagnostic context, their predictive accuracy for pathologic classification remains limited. Methods: We conducted a single-institution pilot study to assess whether tumor growth rate (TGR) derived from serial imaging could serve as a noninvasive correlate of histopathologic outcomes in FETs. Thirty-two patients with serial imaging and subsequent surgical excision (January 2020–May 2025) were analyzed. TGR, expressed as percentage volume increase per month, was calculated from diameter-based volumetrics. Results: The cohort included conventional FA (n = 10), cellular FA (n = 4), benign PT (n = 8), borderline PT (n = 6), and malignant PT (n = 4). Malignant PTs demonstrated significantly higher median TGRs (180.4%/month) and shorter imaging intervals (1.1 months) compared with other groups (p = 0.0357 and p = 0.005, respectively). These large effect-size differences suggest clinically meaningful growth dynamics. Conclusions: As a pilot, this study establishes foundational variance and effect-size estimates for powering a multicenter trial. If validated, TGR may provide an objective, noninvasive metric to enhance preoperative risk stratification and guide management of breast FETs.